Ripping unit for metal cans



Aug- 6, 1929- A. L. COMBES RIPPING UNT FOR METAL CANS Filed May '7. `1928 25 if 41 Z6 22 uni' Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABBOTT L. COMBES, F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF T0 HARRY M. KEYSER, 0F EAST FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA.

RIIPING UNIT FOR METAL CANS.

Application filed May 7, 1928. Serial No. 275,617.

This invention relates to an improved ripping unit :for metal cans of' the' character prevalently employed .in canning food stuffs or the like and seeks, among other objects, to provide a ripping unit for use in connection with the conventional can lid without necessitating change in the basic structure of the lid or the can to which the lid is to he applied.

The invention seeks, as a further object, to provide a ripping unit which may be attached to and handled along with the can lid and secured in proper position Within the can body by the usual machinery now em ployed f'or handling the li d alone and crimping the lid in position.

A further ii'nportant object of the invention is to provide a ripping unit having novel means for connecting said unit with the can lid and firmly holding the unit in proper position thereon.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a device which may be manufactured and installed at feasibly low cost.

Other objects of the invention not specilically stated in the foregoing will appear during the course of the following description.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a conventional can and lid with my improved ripping unit installed,

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view of the assembled lid and ripping unit, partly broken away and shown in section,

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of' the ripping unit, partly broken away and shown in section,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the ripping unit in process of being applied to the lid.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View showing theripping unit fully applied to the lid and illustrating a portion of the upper part of the body of the conventional can as it appears before lid is applied.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the ripping unit and can lid at the point where one end of the ripping unit is anchored and the other end thereof is led out of its retaining sleeve and through the can lid,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view simlar to Figure 5 but showing a slight variation of' the invention, and,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a further s ight variation of the invention.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a carrier ring 10 which, in the present instance, is endless, although if desired, said ring may be formed from a strip of metal and its two ends joined together or left unjoined. The ring 1() is preferably formed of suitable resilient sheet metal, of' a light gage, and is bent at its outer margin to provide an annular channel 11 having an outer annular side flange 12. As seen in Figure 4, the outer side flange 12 of' said channel somewhat shorter than the inner side wall 1.3 of the channel, and projecting radially inward from the side wall 13 is a horizontally disposed annular lip 14:. The inner margin oi the lip .lei is bent to form a tubular sleeve 15, and enclosed in said sleeve is a ripping element 16 preferably of suitable resilient wire. As best shown in Figure 6, one end of the ripping element is bent to form a` hook 17 anchored through the bottom wall of' the sleeve, while the opposite end of said element is extended upwardly to provide a free terminal 18. The ripping element is thus firmly connected with the carrier ring to form a ripping unit and, as will be Observed, the` sleeve completely encloses the ripping element lor excluding juices or other contents of a can in connection with which the device is used.

In the drawings I have shown a convcn tional can body at 19 which, as seen in Figure 5, is provided at its open end with the usual outturncd annular flange 20. ventional lid is shown at 2]. As is usual this lid is bent to provide an annular reinforcing rib 22, while at its outer margin the lid is provided with an annular down-turned channel 23 having a straight inner side wall 211 and an outer side flange 25 curving inwardly towards the base of the` wall 24. As will be observed, a flat annular area 26 is dcfined between the rib 22 and the inner side wall 211 of the channel 23, this channel being of a width and depth to freely receive the flange of the can body 19. Normally, the lid is positioned upon the can body so that the flange 20 is seated in the channel 23 when said flange and the flange at the periphery of the lid are crimped, as indicated in Figure l at 27, in the usual manner for connecting the lid with the can body.

A con- In accordance with the present invention, the ripping unit shown in Figure 3 iS installed upon the lid before the lid is applied tothe can. As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, the side wall 13 of the channel 11 of the carrier ring is of a diameter to more or less snugly surround the inner side wall 24k of the channel 23 of the lid, so that assembly of the ripping unit upon the lid may be accomplished simply by pressing on the ripping unit to push the channel of the carrier ring into the channel of the lid. Figure fl shows the ripping unit partially applied, and attention is now directed tothe fact that, as the Vouter side flange 12 of the channel 11 ofthe carrier ring moves across the free edge ofthe outer side flange 25 lof the channel of the lid, the

y flange 12 is flexed or contracted slightly.

v time the lid is attached thereto.

Consequently, as the top wall ofthe channel 11 moves into abutting relation to the top Wall ofthe channel 23 and the free edge of the side flange 412 clears the free edgev of the Side flange 25, the flange 12 will, as shown in Figure 5, expand and snap intoengagement with Athe lower inner margin of the flange Q5 for rigidly locking `the ripping vunit upon the lid. Coincident with Vthe application of the ripping unit to the lid, the terminal 1S ofthe ripping'element is inserted through a suitable opening in the lid so that the carrier ring may seat'throughout'themajorportion of its area, flat against the underside of the lid. The flange 12 of the carrier ring will thus coact with the flange 25 of the lid for 'firmly Vlocking the 1ripping unit upon the lid so that the rlid may be freely handled without fearof accidental loss or detachment ofthe ripping unit. As brought out in'Figure 5, the channel 1lV of the carrier ring is of an internal diameter at thetop wall thereof to freely receive lthe flange 2O ofthe canbody 19. Accordingly, the lid, with the rip# ping unit thereon, lmay be handled by the usual machinery now employed for handling the lid lalone and the lid with the ripping unit thereon may, likewise, be crimped upon the can body by the usual machinery now employed for crimping the lid alone. Under this latter operation, the ange 12 of the channel-1l. of the carrier ring is interfolded With the flange 20 of the can body and the flange Q5 of the lid for rigidly securing the ripping unit upon the can body at the same Normally, the inner face of the top wall of the channel 23 of the lid is covered with a sealing cement and preferably, a like coating of cement. is applied to the inner face of the top wall of thech'annel 11 of the carrier ring, so as to form a sealed joint with the can body. Eitherbefore or after the lid is applied Ain the manner indicated, the opening through the lid which accommodates the terminal 18 of the ripping element is closed with 'solder and, preferably, a suitable key as indicated at 28 is attached to said terminal so that the key will always be at hand for opening the can.

To open the can, the key 28 is disposed to extend across the upper edge of the crimp QT of the can, when the key is turned for winding the ripping element 1S thereon. As the winding operation progresses, the ripping element is drawn upward thus opening and releasing itself from the sleeve 15 ol the carrier ring and cutting or severing the lid in a circular path coincident with the winding operation. The can may thus be readily opened.

At this juncture attention is directed to the fact that the lip 14 of the ripping unit is of a width to supportl the ripping element medially of' the flat area 26 of the lid. This particular placing of the ripping element is made vin order to aeeoml'ilish three definitie objects that are necessary to uniformly suecessful operation of the deviceto wit im l. Removes the terminal 18 of the ripping element away from the side wall Q4 of the lid, thus preventing its interfering with the chuck of the machine used to attach the lid to the can. 2. Removes the line of severance. of the lid to a location on the flat area Q6 where the ripping element in process of open ing the can cannot be fouled by ruiming up between the side walls 13and Q4.' 3. Defines and maintains the line of severance of the lid at a location where the metal of the lid is easiest to sever by virtue of being flat and free from special curved and angular shapes which materially increase the resistance to severance by a wire ripping element.

In Figure 7 of the drawings, -I have shown a slight variation of the invention. In this` figure, a conventional lid is indicated at Qt) and a ripping unit at 30. This ripping unit. is identical with the ripping unit first described, with the exception that the vouter side flange 31 OiE the channel 32 of the earrier ring of said element is somewhat ual rower than the flange 12 of the carrier ring 10. Accordingly, when the ripping unity of Figure 7 is applied to the lid, the flange il will, as shown in full lilies, initially clear the free edge of the outer side flange 38 of the channel 34 of the lid. The flange 3l is. therefore, subsequently bent or straightened to the dotted line position shown in Figure `7, to impinge the flange 33 for firmly locking the ripping unit upon the lid.

In each of the embodiments of the invention previously described, theaipping unit is arranged to open the can by cutting or severing the metal of the lid. However. there are `certain advantages to be had through opening a can by severing the side wall of the can body on a line immediately below the crimped joint between the can body and the lid. T he present invention is adaptable for opening a can by severing the body llt] lll() wall and Figure 8 shows a variation of the invention adapted to accomplish this purpose. A conventional can body is indicated at and a conventional lid at 36, the lid being crimped on the can body as shown at 37. A ripping unit is employed similar to the ripping unit lirst described and includes a carrier ring 3S, the outer margin oi which inter'folded in the crimp 37 while the inner margin of said ring is bent to form an outwardly facing tubular sleeve 89 housing a ripping element 40. The sleeve 39 and element 40 are like the sleeve 15 and element 16 of the ripping unit shown in Figure 3 with the exception that the sleeve 39 abuts the body wall of the can body 35 and that the mouth ot the sleeve faces said Wall. One end ot the ripping unit is arranged to extend through said body wall to provide a free terminal 41 to which a key may be attached so that, as will be well understood in View ol the foregoing description, the key may be turned for winding the ripping element thereon and causing said element to sever the body wall oif the can.

In the present instance, I have shown the invention in conjunction with a cylindrical can. However, as is Well known cans of other shapes are employed for canningr iood stuil's and the like, and in any such instance, the ripping unit will be shaped to conform to the contour of the can. The term carrier ring as herein used shall, therefore, be construed to comprehend such variations in lshape.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a ripping unit including a carrier ring having a ripping element thereon and provided with means to coaet with the peripheral margin of an unattached can lid for connecting the ring with the lid to lie at the under side thereof,

2. As a new article of n'ianu'lacture, a ripping unit including a carrier ring having a ripping element thereon and provided with a peripheral iiange to coaet with the periph eral flange of an unattached can lid for securing the ring upon the lid at the under side thereof.

3, The combination with an unattached can lid having a peripheral flange, of a ripping unit disposed at the under side ot' the lid and including a carrier ring having a ripping element thereon operable to open a lf-u Io which the lid may be attached, said ring being provided with means to coaet with said flange for securing the unit upon the lid.

el. The combination with an unattached can lid having a peripheral flange, of a ripping `unit disposed at the under side oil the lid and including a carrier ring having a ripping element thereon operable to open a can to which the lid .may be attached, said carrier ring being provided with a peripheral flange disposed to coaet with the liange of the lid for securing the ripping unit upon the lid.

The combination with a can body hav ing a peripheral flange, and a lid attached io the can body at one end thereof to form a closed can, the lid being provided with a peripheral ilange interiiolded with the liange of the can body for securing the lid upon the body, ot' a ripping unit carried by the lid and including a carrier ring disposed at the under side of the lid and having a ripping element operable to sever a wall of the can, the carrier ring being provided with a i'lz'tnge disposed to coaet with the flange of the lid Awhen unattached for initially securing the ripping unit upon the lid and being inter folded with the iianges of the lid and can body tor rigidly securing the ripping unit in operative pos1t1on.`

G. The combination with an unattached can lid provided near its periphery with a channel, of a ripping unit carried at the under side of the lid and including a carrier ring having a ripping element operable to open a can to which the lid may be attached, said ring being provided near its periphery with a channel locked in the channel of the lid for connecting the ripping unit with the lid.

7. The combination with an unattached can lid provided near its periphery with a reinforcing rib and in spaced relation to said rib with a peripheral channel, the lid being formed with a flat area between said channel and rib, of a ripping unit carried at the under side of' the lid and including a carrier ring having a ripping element thereon and provided near its periphery with a channel locked in the channel of the lid :for connecting the ripping unit with the lid, said ring supporting the ripping element in juxtaposition to said flat area of the lid whereby said element may be operated for severing said area.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

ABBOTT L. connus. [a s] 

